Letter: Opposed to Common Core, all-day K

As a very concerned resident of Region 16, I bring attention to the warning: “Be careful what you ask for.”

I strongly oppose the new Common Core curriculum for K-12 and all-day kindergarten that are in the process of being implemented into Region 16. Contrary to what proponents are saying, Common Core will dumb down our students’ education; it is important that parents and taxpayers understand this.

First, I will point out that Common Core is unconstitutional because it is a federal take-over of education when education is the responsibility of parents with their local communities. In addition, Common Core is bad for parents, teachers, taxpayers, as well as students.

To give some of my education background, I attended parochial school in elementary school where I received a great education. There were approximately 40 students in my classrooms and no teacher aides. My education was streamlined and proven to work. When my three grown children were school-age, I wanted them to have a faith-based education and chose to homeschool instead of putting them into a private school. In homeschooling, I used a simple-to-use, step-by-step program like I had when I was in elementary school with 40 students in my classroom.

Grades one to four are the foundation years in education in which the building blocks for all other learning are laid. A half-day kindergarten was added to prepare students for grade one; it is recommended that no more than 30 minutes a day of structured learning takes place in kindergarten. Anyone who has taught these foundation grades will tell you that beginning in grade four the lessons start getting noticeably more time-consuming. This means that there is plenty of time in grades one to three to complete the important reading, English, and arithmetic basic-requirements for these grades, which too many are not doing.

Many years ago I was alarmed when a newly-graduated student with a degree in elementary education from a reputable college remarked that she had to learn how to teach reading because she was never taught how to in college; this is a huge problem that can be fixed easily. Several years ago calculators were introduced into classrooms; this has created a big math problem that can be fixed easily, also.

Today, computers have been invited into the classrooms, and will be used exclusively with Common Core in all grades. This is a humongous problem. With this, parents will not be able to “see” what their children are learning. The data collection is outrageous. Furthermore, Common Core is more about indoctrination than education, leading our next generation into collectivism rather than individualism.

If you think more money is the solution to our failing education system, think again. The Region 16 school budget for 2014-15 was passed in May. A total of $39,735,842 was budgeted for an estimated 2,350 students (from the 2013-14 student count, which is declining yearly while the budget increases). That amounts to close to an average of a whopping $17,000 per-year per-student in K-12.

You can learn more about Common Core by watching Dr. Terrance Moore’s one-hour video of Jan. 9, 2014, called “Story Killers: How the Common Core Destroys Minds and Souls,” found online. Also, go to commoncorefails.com for more information. I urge parents and taxpayers in Region 16 to join me now, before it is too late, in opposing Common Core for grades K-12 and all-day kindergarten which comes with it; our future depends on it.